A Stranger In a Strange World
by Lynn9
Summary: Its the story of Max (my way) from the time of her escape, up through when ever I stop.


Title: a stranger in a strange world author spoilers notes disclaimer rating POV: Max  
  
I walked. No, I ran. I ran from the place that had been my home and my prison for 9 years. My feet were worn and my legs had scattered cuts from the bushes and underbrush. My breathing wasn't deep though I had run for about 2 hours. The rest of my 'siblings' were scattered through out the woods, also running for their lives, I could hear the faint footsteps of one of my fellow escapees. Fear was something a barely knew, and I felt it. As I ran. As I thought about what would happen if they caught me. Or the others. My family, or the closest thing too a family I had.  
  
The sun was just starting to come up when I reached my first city, or rather, town. It was a small place, a few houses, a grocery store, gas station, motel, and a school. That was about it. It also had a local police. I walked the street curious about what I saw. Why weren't there any drills going on, or any structure. People just walked around, oblivious to anything other than their lives. A policeman approached me. "What's your name?" he asked me. I thought about it for a minute, was I supposed to answer this order? I decided I should, I instantly stood up straight and said, " X5-452 sir!"  
  
The policeman chuckled a little bit and grabbed my hand. "Come on, I'll take you down to the station, see if we can find out your real name so we can send you back home." Instantly the blood ran from my head. I struggled a little but I didn't really do anything. I was tired, which I almost never am, and I was hungry. I almost passed out when he put me in the car. What was this machine, what did it do? I didn't dare ask. I was frightened. Will he take me back? After all that my siblings and I did to get out? What would they do to me? All these questions ran through my head.  
  
When we reached the station, he sat me in a small room. I looked around a bit. I could hear someone typing in the other room. He started asking me questions. "Do you have a family?" I nodded yes. " Where do they live?" I shrugged. I honestly didn't have a clue. " Do you have a name?" I nodded yes. " X5-452." " He looked up at me from where he was writing stuff down. I used my extremely good vision to see what he was writing. He was filling out a paper about me. "What's your name now?" "X5-452" "I see."  
  
He got up and took me to another building. The sign said 'Saint John's Adoption Center'. He took me inside. Curiously, there were other kids there. They were playing and laughing and running around. Why are these soldiers so undisciplined? He walked me to an office-like room and a pretty lady walked in. "Hello Officer Klein." She said sitting down. "Margaret" he said with a nod. " And whose your little friend there?" she said looking at me. " Well, I don't really know. She doesn't speak much, and when she does, she talks like she. Was in the military or something." She looked at him as if he were crazy. I cocked my head to the side slightly. " I see. What's your name sweetie?" she said diverting her attention to me. " X5-452."  
  
She and the officer engaged in conversation as I sat and looked around the room. I didn't dare touch anything. They looked at me a few times and I just acted like I didn't notice. After a few minutes they started talking to me. They decided to give me a different name. They called me Max.  
  
I spent a long time at the Orphanage, though I never really became attached to anyone, nor did I talk much. Once, I got in a fight with a kid over a toy truck and I punched him. He flew across the room and hit the wall. I was punished, though all I had to do was clean dishes, wash the floors, and apologize. No one else tried to take the toys I was playing with.  
  
A young couple finally adopted me. They lived in Seattle. I found out that the town I was in was called Herrisford. Their last name was Fisher. Haley and Bill Fisher. They had no other kids and they were very caring. They helped me adjust to life in 'the outside world'. Eventually I became comfortable enough with them to share my story. They were shocked, but kept it a secret. I never forgot anything that Manticore had done to me, taught me, or told me.  
  
I hit my first heat cycle when I was fourteen. They had made up a birthday for me. 10.04.00. I told my parents, as I called them at the time, about what was happening to me. They locked me inside my room to prevent me from coming in contact with other guys. They told the school that I went to I was sick. I told them what DNA I have in me. They researched it. As it turns out, it was the feline DNA. They explained that cats go into heat 2 or 3 times a year when their bodies are mature enough and that it only lasts about a week.  
  
One day, at school, I got in a fight with some guy, who commented on my barcode, which, strangely, no one had noticed. He said that it was a brand, and maybe he could cut it out and send it in for a prize. He said that it was stupid, and that I was a freak for having one. So I hit him. Three times. Not too hard, but enough to stop him and every one else from commenting about it. It broke his nose. Well, I guess the Manticore people caught wind of a girl who beat up a guy, 2 times her weight, and had a barcode. So they came for me. They walked into the middle of my French class and tried to drag me away. The students pressed them selves against the walls as the fight started. There were about 10 guys from Manticore. None were Transgenics.  
  
It was an easy fight, if that's what you would call it. I threw them over desks and kicked and punched, and eventually they were all lying knocked out on the ground. I looked around at the scared students then bolted out the door. I could hear the teacher yelling after me, to come back, it's not safe out there. I kept running. I wen tout side and instantly spotted him. My trainer, my care taker. Lydecker. I ran around him and the other Manticore guys. I took a few different streets before coming to my own. I stopped at my house for a short period of time. I grabbed my over night bag and stuffed clothes in it. I grabbed another bag and put some food in it. I also grabbed my blanket, wallet, a little make-up. Finally, I grabbed my compact and applied make-up to the back of my neck, covering my barcode.  
  
I left a quick note for my parents. It saddened me to leave them like this, but they would understand. I left a note saying that they had come after me and I was going to go to another part of Seattle. I wrote that I would return when I felt it was safe and not to come after me. I signed it then left I sneaked out my back door and ran into the alley across the street. I went to a place called 'Terminal City'. 


End file.
